Disclaimer: The content below is provided for informational purposes only and is not meant to serve as legal advice. You may seek professional legal counsel to determine exactly how GDPR is applicable to you and your customers.

As an email marketing services company, Replyify has taken steps to ensure that our platform and processes are compliant with the evolving regulations of GDPR.

replyify’s Role in GDPR

As a Data Processor, Replyify is not responsible for the range or the purpose of processing the personal data used by our clients who are the Data Administrators or Data Controllers. However, if we are informed that a client has violated their obligation to GDPR, we are obligated to react to the violation(s) within a reasonable amount of time.

We have a process for handling data breaches like infiltration of data stored on servers, loss/theft of a computer that stores information, malware, or even (for example) accidental email sent that discloses information not intended for all recipients of the email.

The only action that Replyify takes with your Email Accounts are those necessary to run the campaigns you create in fulfilment of our contractural obligation to you as set forth in our Terms of Service.

We ensure that every employee is trained to comply with GDPR standards of privacy and confidentiality.

We created a workflow for our customers to fulfill any request (see below) by EU citizens to edit, delete, export or object to their data processing. Our customers will be notified of any GDPR actions so you can edit/update your Replyify account and any other systems that could be processing personal data. We will delete any data (as requested by a verified EU citizen) 72 hours after the request has been received..

GDPR stipulates ‘rights’ for individuals that Data Processors and Data Controllers must adhere to. The GDPR does not seem to require that exercising these rights be fully automated or instant. Actions must be taken, however, “without undue delay”

ACCESS: With GDPR, individuals will be able to request access to their personal data and learn how an organization uses it after they’ve obtained. The company processing the data will have to provide a copy, free of charge, of the personal data if requested. You must acknowledge receipt of the request within 20 days and all relevant data must be delivered to the individual within 30 days

ERASURE: An individual will have a right to withdraw consent to store and use their personal data. They may request that the personal information be deleted. The Data Processor (Replyify) has the right to erase this data on behalf of the Data Controller if requested directly by the data subject.

DATA PORTABILITY: You have the right to transfer your data.

RECTIFICATION: Replyify provides an accessible interface for our clients to update their information or information requested to be updated by a data subject.

RIGHT TO BE INFORMED: With GDPR, companies must be transparent about how they gathered personal information. Replyify documents the process of data added to the system by the Data Controller.

RESTRICTED PROCESSING
Individuals have the right to block and/or suppress the processing of their personal data. If suppressions is requested, an organization can still store personal information but they may not use it in any way.

‘STOP’ PROCESSING: Individuals (data subjects) have the right to object to you using and/or processing their personal data. If requested or demanded, you must cease processing the individual’s data immediately.

Your Role in GDPR

You are a Data Controller in the eyes of GDPR.

You should retain an individual’s data only for as long as it is necessary, but there isn’t a strict rule (yet) on how long that is.

If you receive a request of a EU citizen exercising one of their rights, you must comply with their legitimate request in a reasonable amount of time.

Don’t collect personal data that you don’t need. For example, if you’re not going to be making phone calls, don’t collect and store the personal phone number. You need a legitimate interest.

You must provide a contact with a way to Opt Out from receiving future messages from you. Consider a disclaimer in your cold emails that inform the prospect about In the cold email, inform your prospect that you processed their data for a specific purpose and that they can change/remove their data from your list by completing a certain action. Something like: “if you want me to change or remove the data I used to contact you, just reply back and let me know.”

Internal Data Review: Start by identifying every source of personal data collection including your signup form(s), lead capture form(s), chat/support applications, emails from customers, and all employee information. Document the data you possess or collect, what is this data used for, where did the data come from, where is the data stored, how long is the data stored, who has access to it and how to edit and/or delete it. Delete any unnecessary personal data.

Don’t buy a 3rd party list that you didn’t personally build. You need to have a legitimate interest for contacting each and every EU citizen. Read this post.

Don’t get lazy and email someone because their email address was easy to find.

]]>http://blog.replyify.com/gdpr/feed/0The Best (and worst) Headsets for Sales Callshttp://blog.replyify.com/the-best-and-worst-headsets-for-sales-calls/
http://blog.replyify.com/the-best-and-worst-headsets-for-sales-calls/#respondMon, 09 Apr 2018 19:44:42 +0000http://blog.replyify.com/?p=317I did a little spring cleaning this weekend and found 8 headsets I’ve used at one time or another for sales calls.

These calls and demos are usually held on VOIP via services like Skype, Google Hangouts, Join.me, and GoToMeeting (to name a few).

I spend a lot of time on calls as a result of running cold email campaigns on Replyify, so a good headset is critical to my job in sales for a B2B SaaS company.

The three most important factors to me when choosing a new headset are:

Comfort – Wearing something several hours a day puts comfort at a premium.

Convenience – Wired/Bluetooth, storage, and if it required charging.

Audio Quality – I switch back and forth between calls and music throughout the day.

The Oh $h!T Moment

I realized I only paid attention to how music sounded on the headphones but never actually tested how I sounded to the other caller.

I never considered that each headset could sound drastically different and whether quality of the audio had an affect on my message and I was curious enough to conduct a quick test. (actual recordings linked below)

Time to experiment

Depending on your internet bandwidth and the VoIP system you use, audio quality may vary. But we’re not testing that variable in this experiment.

The only thing I want to learn is what my voice sounds like transmitted through each headset to my computer.

So, I closed the door to my office which has 15 foot high ceilings and is not acoustically treated.

Next, I sat at my desk and opened up the Audacity app on my Mac to record the direct audio input of me speaking, moving my head around and typing. The input volume remained unchanged for each so we could get a baseline comparison regardless of your computer’s volume.

The control for this experiment is to record the same 4 sentences directly from the headset to my computer so you can hear the difference in sound quality for each headset.

Here are the eight headphones I found this weekend doing some spring cleaning.

The results were shocking. I spent upwards of $300 on a good headset only to learn that it performed worse than the $12 option.

I ranked the headsets below from best to worst. There are soundcloud links to each audio clip and a link to buy if you please.

Out of eight options, the top performer surprised the heck out of me…

Apple Ear buds standard with any iPhone

Pros: The audio is clear and there’s not much background noise in this very inexpensive option.

Cons: Uncomfortable to wear all day and playback quality for music lacks bass.

Copy this experiement to test the audio quality of your headset(s) new and used.

I need a new headset. Do you have a recommendation?

Share this and tweet your suggestion or leave your comments below.

]]>http://blog.replyify.com/the-best-and-worst-headsets-for-sales-calls/feed/0The Cold Emailer’s Guide to GDPRhttp://blog.replyify.com/the-cold-emailers-guide-to-gdpr/
http://blog.replyify.com/the-cold-emailers-guide-to-gdpr/#respondThu, 01 Mar 2018 14:31:51 +0000http://blog.replyify.com/?p=301Disclaimer: The content below is provided for informational purposes only and is not meant to serve as legal advice. You may seek professional legal counsel to determine exactly how GDPR is applicable to you and your customers. And, now the answer to the question everyone’s asking….

Can I Still send cold emails?

The answer is YES, assuming you have a ‘legitimate interest’ that is a ‘lawful reason’ to ‘process data’ compliant with GDPR. Get all that?

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is The European Union’s (EU) new 88-page privacy law. GDPR requires global data protection rights for individuals in the European Union that you may be prospecting whether you live in the EU or not. Specifically, GDPR regulates how you obtain, use and store personal data for their 750 million residents.

GDPR goes into effect on May 25th 2018 and non-compliance carries stifffines.

“Any information related to a natural person or ‘Data Subject’, that can be used to directly or indirectly identify the person. It can be anything from a name, a photo, an email address, credit card, posts on social networking websites, medical information, or even a computer IP address.” Personal data can even include data about an individual that has been hashed or encrypted.

Your Role in GDPR

Are you acting as a Data Controller, a Data Processor or both?

“Data Controller”: Anyone who is collecting data (ie- building prospect lists) and determining how it will be “processed” or used (ie – sending emails). As the Data Controller, you are responsible for safeguarding the data of your prospects and customers as they interact directly with you or your services.

“Data Processor”: Any third party gathering or processing information on behalf of the Data Controller. This could be your email verifier (ie – SellHack) or your cold emailing tech (ie – Replyify). The Data Processor is responsible for safeguarding your data and the data of your partners, customers, users, prospects, leads, etc.

For the purposes of this article being written for a BtoB salesperson, the EU authorities classify you as a Data Controller since you may need personal data to make calls, conduct meetings, and send emails.

This is complicated stuff, but for folks in sales, Article 6(1)(f) gives you a lawful basis for processing which can be broken down into a three part test. It’s important to document your Legitimate Interest Assessment (LIA) to demonstrate your accountability under Articles 5(2) and 24 if you’re ever questioned on the legitimacy of your data processing.

Your 3 Part Test To Determine if You can Send a Cold Email

This three part test is used to define your ‘legitimate interest’ (ICO’s ‘Purpose Test’), your necessity to process the data (ICO’s ‘Necessity Test’), and whether your ‘legitimate interest’ balances out the individual’s right to privacy (ICO’s ‘Balancing Test’).

As a cold emailer, your legitimate interests are always weighed against the data subject’s right to privacy. You must make it clear why this particular person might want to hear from you. You must have a legitimate interest for each person you prospect which makes purchasing a list built by a third party could get you into trouble.

First, Identify the legitimate interest and be prepared to answer the question “how did you get my email address?”

Your response needs to clearly describe the method you used and your legitimate interest:

A Bad response citing your legitimate interest: “I bought a list of emails from a freelancer on Upwork”

A Good response citing your legitimate interest: “In the process of my research, I discovered that your company recently changed CRMs and may be interested in our software that help companies who use ‘Abc CRM’ send and track email communication with prospects. After confirming that you are the VP of Sales, I researched that your company uses the same email pattern (FirstInitial.LastName@company.com), so I sent an introduction email and a Linkedin connection inquiring if you are interested in speaking to learn more.”

An example logical argument could be made to confirm the use of cold email or cold calling prospects in the EU:

Purpose test: Are you pursuing a legitimate interest? You need to verify that EVERY person on your prospect list can benefit from your business offer and that your message(s) are relevant to the prospect’s business.

Based on our interpretation, you can’t cold email a prospect from a generic list sold by a third party unless they can verify the legitimate interest of every single person on that list. You’re better off using a tool, like SellHack, to build your list or you may be required to gain consent from the prospect prior to emailing them.

You can’t email contacts found from a service that crawls the web and provides a random assortment of email addresses tied to a particular company/domain. You must verify the legitimate interest of each person on your prospect list. Just working at a company doesn’t pass the Purpose Test.

Necessity test: Is the processing of the data necessary for that purpose (legitimate interest)? If you are sending an email and/or making a phone call you need an email and/or phone number. Researching and/or verifying an email address and/or phone number are necessary for the purpose of fulfilling your ‘legitimate interest’. *According to GDPR Recital 47, which includes direct marketing, if the data you collect is both public and B2B, GDPR consent or a hard opt-in may not be legally required as long as a clear opt-out is provided.

Balancing test: Do the individual’s interests override the legitimate interest? If your prospect would not reasonably expect the processing of their data, or if it would cause unjustified harm, their interests are likely to override your legitimate interests. If the ‘legitimate interest’ would benefit the prospect’s company and they would reasonably expect to be contacted via email, then processing the email address may be acceptable if you don’t believe the processing would cause them ‘unjustified harm.’ And… make sure you provides a clear opt-out for all emails.

Breathe. The world is not ending. B2B sales is NOT dead.ps – If you want to learn more about how Replyify prepared for GDPR, check this post out.

One of the most common questions I get at Replyify is…..”How do I write effective cold emails that get opens, clicks, and meetings booked for my sales team?”

My response is usually, something like….”well, what are you sending now?” and I follow this up with, “how’s that been working for you?”

Chances are, you already have the foundation for creating a high performing cold email campaign sitting in your sent folders. You’ll want to refer to your existing emails when strategically creating your next cold email campaign. It’s good to test new things. But seriously, start with what you have an borrow or steal from the template below!

Use this FREE Cold Email Campaign Creator Strategy doc to create an high performing cold email campaign sequence before you are sitting in from of your Campaign Creator in Replyify wondering what to write for your initial cold email and subsequent follow-up emails.

If you are in sales and required to reach out to new prospects, chances are you already have a process in place. Folks typically come to Replyify for reasons like:

Sending emails through my CRM takes too much time

My emails are going to the Spam or not getting delivered to the primary inbox

My email provider suspended my account because I sent cold emails

Need a better way to generate more qualified leads and sales demos

Cold calling isn’t working as well as it has in the past

Cold emails don’t work for me, but everyone is talking about them

My team needs a more efficient sales solutions

Maybe you’re reading this post because I linked you here from a conversation we had about Replyify. Or, maybe this article ranked high for a Google search looking for cold email templates that get replies.

Either way, this post includes some of the best cold email templates I’ve either tested or received as someone else’s prospect. Pro Tip – pay attention to the cold emails you received. What about them did you like or dislike. What got you to open? Borrow from the best examples and make a note to avoid the mistakes from the worst emails.

The best cold email campaigns usually have the same basic ingredients.

5 – 10 emails sent over 21-45 days

Concise subject lines (try ‘variables’ to add their name to the subject line)

3 to 5 sentences (max) per email

Personalize the email with variables

Don’t say the same thing over and over

It’s a mix of give and take. (you ‘give’ value & ‘take’ their time)

Replace I/me/my/we/our with YOU, YOU’RE and YOUR

Limit images and links

Clear, low commitment Call To Action

You know your customers better than me. You know how they communicate. Maybe they’re formal, maybe they’re not. Maybe they need a lot of data to be convinced. Maybe they like images of a T-rex chasing a person who doesn’t respond (I don’t). Your cold email will set the tone for a (hopefully) long lasting relationship between you and your prospect as they move through your sales cycle and convert into a paying client.

There’s no one-size-fits all holy grail of cold emails. And the ‘Top 10 this or that’ posts we’ve been reading all these years aren’t always written by the people who are in the trenches every day selling like you or me.

If you’re looking for some inspiration to help fill out your cold email campaign template and build or optimize your existing outbound cold email strategy, then you’ll dig the examples listed below. If you’d rather just steal my go to cold email campaign structure, then you should also check out our google doc and this post. (ps – have a great cold email template to share with us? Forward it to team@replyify.com) Now, on to the templates…

Initial Cold Email (Right to The Point)

Subject: {Company Name} + Replyify

Body:

Hi {first name},

What are you doing to make sure the top of the funnel is full of fresh leads every month?

We’ve helped companies like {Competitor or Brand} to 2-3x their XYZ/leads/etc by automating their prospecting and sales intelligence. Here’s how we did it [insert link].

I believe this same concept could apply to {company}.

When is a good time next week for me to share a few quick ideas I have?

Thanks,
Ryan

Why It works: The key with this cold email template is to offer social proof to support your straightforward claim. You referenced a solution for a relevant company and didn’t waste anyone’s time beating around the bush.

Initial Cold Email (Irritate a Wound)

Subject: Question about {something they do}

Body:

Hey {first name},

I noticed that your site currently isn’t {something that you solve}.

Implementing {best feature} is actually something that we help companies {insert social proof like a competitor you work with or customer count} like yours with all the time.

Is there a day next week when you have 10 minutes to connect so we can talk about getting this taken care of for you.
Best,

Why It works: The key with this cold email template is to put pressure on the prospect to consider whether it’s acceptable to pass on something that their competitor is using to beat them. Some people just don’t give a damn. They’re happy collecting a paycheck. If you deploy a wound irritating approach, consider continuing to irritate the wound and substantiate your claims in the next 1 or two follow-ups to this email.

Initial Cold Email (Ask For a Referral)

Hey {first name},

My name is John, and I’m co-founder of {my company}. (I don’t like the intro unless you are a founder. People tend to have a soft spot for helping startup founders)

We work with organizations like {insert competitor client} to boost {tangible success pain point} with {awesome feature} by {a real statistic}.

Could you direct me to the right person to talk to about this at {prospect company} so we can explore if this would be something valuable to incorporate into your {group/team/business}?

Cheers,

Why It works: The key with this cold email template will ensure you don’t make a fatal cold email mistake by reaching out to the wrong person. This approach also give the recipient an ‘out’ if they’ve ignored your first few emails. It’s all about getting work off your plate and delegating to someone else on the team to ‘deal with.’ My favorite referrals are from the boss to a more junior person on the team who can’t ignore the request.

Initial Cold Email (Research Driven)

Subject: Saw your post on Twitter

Body:

Hi {first name},

I saw that your post on Twitter about how to generate new leads for your company.

{Ask them a question or state your point of view}.

Clients like {company 1} and {company 2} use {insert your company name} to {insert value prop}.

I would love to set up some time to chat about how you could take your approach to the next level by {insert a key feature}. How does your schedule look next Tuesday for quick call so I can show you what I’m talking about?

Best,
Ryan

Why It works: The key with this cold email template is to offer a very clear and tangible benefit to your prospect without asking for anything in return. You demonstrated that this isn’t a blast to a random, purchased list and that you want to help them.

Initial Cold Email (Trigger Event)

Subject: Congrats!

Body:

Hi [first name],

Just saw the news about {trigger event}. Congrats!

Usually when this happens, {insert value prop} becomes a priority. So, I thought you might be interested in finding out how we helped {similar company} {insert benefit}.

I know things at {company name} must be crazy now, but If you’d like to learn more, let’s set up a quick call.

How does [specific day and time] look on your calendar? Alternatively, here’s a link to my calendar or feel free to send me yours.

Best,
Ryan

Why It works: It’s pretty easy to spot a cold email written by someone who hasn’t taken the time to research and test different tactics (just like you’re doing right now). Good news for you is that most other cold emailers competing for the prospect’s attention fall into this category. The downside is that your prospect might be resistant to all cold emails. The upside is that a well researched email sets you apart from the pack. If I could personalize EVERY cold email, I would…it just doesn’t scale.

Initial Cold Email (Commonality)

Figured I’d save {mutual connection} the hassle of making an introduction by reaching out to you directly.

We work with companies like {company 1} and {company 2} to {insert value prop}.

In thinking about your role at [company}, I thought there might be a great fit for your team.

Do you have time to chat next week to see if there’s a fit?

Thanks,
Ryan

Why It works: There’s nothing like applying a little social pressure to the situation. If your mutual connection is mutually respected by both of you (ie – it’s someone successful), your recipient won’t know exactly how well you know the mutual connection, and they may feel the pressure to look good and give you attention. It’s pretty common for the recipient of a cold email to feel empowered and talk down to the sender. Referencing a mutual connection puts the recipient on notice to use their best behavior.

Why It works: The first rule of cold email is that you have to follow-up. Avoid the ‘naked follow-up’ which is the lazy man’s approach of writing back and saying something like, “Hi Kelly, following up on the email I sent last week.” Use the first follow-up as an opportunity to reinforce (ideally with data) why it would be a good idea to talk.

Follow-up Cold Email (Simple Follow-up w/ Trial)

It looks like we both have had a busy week! I’m writing to follow-up on my previous email about potentially replacing your {pain point} to {value prope}?

Are you free for a quick 5 minute call this week?
Best,

PS: I already prepared a free trial for you with no strings attached. Click here to check it out.

Why It works: Folks have different psychological motivators. This is a great option to jump straight to a tangible next step that the prospect can use to evaluate your offer without any risk. This let’s them consider your offer on their own time without feeling like they need to add another meeting to their calendar just to hear a pitch.

Follow-up Cold Email (Simple Question)

Subject: beating quota?

Body:

Do you have enough prospects in the pipeline to beat your quota?

Why It works: Near the end of the campaign, before I move to break up or ask for the referral, I like to use the ‘simple question’ technique. Assuming you’ve sent a few solid follow-up emails prior to this point, try asking a one liner question. You want to bait a reply so you can pick up the phone or push a little harder on the follow-up email.

Follow-up Cold Email (BreakUp/LAst Chance)

Subject: Re: {previous email subject line}

Body:

Hey {first name},

I know you are busy, can you reply with a quick 1, 2 or 3?

1) you still want to set up a 5 minute call

2) you are making me work for this and I should keep trying to reach you

3) you aren’t interested in {amazing value prop}

Thanks, Ryan

Why It works: If the prospect hasn’t replied to you by now it’s likely one of three things happened: 1) they’re just not that into you/your offer 2) your emails are landing in spam or other inbox (Replyify fixes this) or 3) they’ve ignored you so often that replying back to you would be awkward. By asserting that you know they are busy and letting them select a next steps removes the burden from the prospect to explain why they’ve been ignoring you.

You Cold Emailed Me (and it was awesome)

Subject: Ryan, I’ve been researching Replyify

Body:

Hi Ryan!

I was wondering if you are in charge of managing Replyify’s cap table?

I was hoping to speak with someone to find out if automating the process would be of interest at this time. Are you the person to speak with?

I hope all is well- I was doing some research and I think you might be the best person to reach out to in regards to equity administration at Replyify.

As an introduction, we are the top equity administration platform for private companies when it comes to cap table management, 409A valuations, electronic exercises, and liquidity events.

When time permits, I’d love to connect over the phone or via a webinar to evaluate whether eShares would be a good fit for your team.
Please let me know a time that works well for you to connect. Or if you would like to see a demo just click here to get started.

Thank you in advance,
Justin

Follow-up #2 (3 days later)

Subject:

Hello Ryan,

I Wanted to follow-up with some additional information on eShares. As your company continues to grow, the ability to provide liquidity to investors and employees can be of utmost importance.

We provide a platform that allows you to run liquidity transactions (tender offers) without ever needing to go public, and without the burdensome administrative costs typically associated with this process.

As I am sure you are aware, more companies are staying private longer and this unique ability of our platform allows you to make strategic decisions on your own terms and timing.

If you are interested in learning more let me know, or you can request a demo and set up a time to speak with someone.

You can get blindsided. For every person you convert to a warm lead or new client via cold email, there are going to be folks who say no. Some do it with tact, others…not so much.

Whether you are just getting started or already scale up your cold emailing, your prospect’s responses will fall into one of a dozen different categories.

Here are the 12 types of replies you’ll get and how to manage them, good or bad.

Interested, ‘Let’s Talk’

"Sounds interesting. Timing is perfect. We were just talking about this!"

What you want to do: Fist pump then reply back to their email suggesting a time to speak or sending a calendar link to schedule.

What you should do instead – Pick up the phone and call the prospect back using the phone number in their signature (leave a voice mail if they don’t pick up).

If they answer the phone, your call should go something like this:

You: Hi Corrie. I saw you replied to my email and thought it made more sense to give you a quick call than send another email.
Them: Some variation of 'Ok'
You: Is this a good time for us to speak or should we look to later this week or next?
Them: Some variation or 'Now' or 'Later'
You: Ifthey said 'Now' start with your qualification questions. If they said 'Later', say 'Great! To make sure we don't waste any time when we speak...' then start with your qualification questions. Then, get the meeting booked.

Don’t make the mistake of blindly booking the call. Try to extract whatever information you can. If your prospect is busy or tells you something like ‘I’m looking at my schedule, how’s Tuesday’ just go ahead and book the meeting then ask if there is anyone else from their team that should be invited.

If your prospect didn’t answer and you left a voicemail, follow this with an email right away referencing your call and suggesting a time to speak or sending a calendar link to schedule.

Hi Corrie,
Thanks for the quick reply back. I just called and left you a voice mail with my
contact information so we can get a quick call booked for next week.
How do mornings work (EST)? Skip a step and use my scheduling link or send yours.
Looking forward to speaking with you.
Cheers, Ryan

because…. they are replying back from their smart phone or they are sitting at their desk. The average person gets over 100+ emails per day and you don’t want to run the risk of them missing your email or their perception that your response just created another task that the prospect will ‘get to later’.

Interested, not a good time

"Thanks for thinking of me. We don't have time to focus on anything like this.
Check back next year."

What you want to do: Reply back and tell them that ‘this is a good time’ or ask a weak question like ‘when is a better time’.

What you should do instead – If they suggested the best person to speak with, find that contact’s email address, change the subject line of the email to ‘referral from Bob Smith’ (or ‘Bob Smith suggested we speak’) then send an email to the person referred with the referrer notified they’ve been moved to bcc (Thanks for the intro, Susan (bcc)).

Hi Corrie,
Thanks for the quick reply back.
I realize that timing isn't always going to be perfect especially when I reach out to someone new.
I'll set a reminder to follow-up with you in December in preparation for next year.
In the meantime, if sales performance becomes more of a priority, please reach out to me directly.
Cheers, Ryan
ps - if there's someone more junior on your team, who may have more time than you to test out Replyify, please ask them to drop me an email.

because…. an internal referral (someone recommending a colleague) is one of the most powerful source of referral that exists. There is a lot of pressure within a company amongst employees and this is the type of interaction that doesn’t get ignored. You may not get an immediate reply and you may need to follow-up several times, but you will always get a reply with enough pressure.

If you follow up 3 times with the referral and still don’t have a response, add your first contact back to the email thread and say something like: ‘Hi Bob, I sent a few emails to Corrie (cc’d) and haven’t heard back. There’s a chance my emails aren’t even getting to her inbox. Would you mind sending her a note to ask her to check her spam folder?’ Chances of a reply to this is 75%+.

Interested, not the right person

"Thanks, but I'm not the best person to make a decision about this."

What you want to do: Mark the contact as ‘dead’ and move on to the next one.

What you should do instead: Reply back and ask them who the right person is.

If they didn’t suggested the best person to speak with, head over to LinkedIn. Search for a likely alternative contact at your prospect’s company and suggest this person in the response back to the Find that contact’s email address, change the subject line of the email to ‘referral from Bob Smith’ (or ‘Bob Smith suggested we speak’) then send an email to the person referred with the referrer notified they’ve been moved to bcc (Thanks for the intro, Susan (bcc)).

Corrie, thanks for the quick reply.
Would you mind making a quick intro to the appropriate person?
(Based on my research, it could be Bob Smith)
I'll follow up with them directly unless you want to stay in the loop.
Cheers, Ryan

because…. even though this isn’t as strong as an internal referral, it’s still considered an internal recommendation and the likelihood of a response is high.

Interested, no budget

Thanks, but we can't afford anything like this right now. Not in budget 2018.

What you want to do: Reply back and tell them that ‘this is a good time’ or ask a weak question like ‘when is a better time’.

What you should do instead: If they suggested the best person to speak with, find that contact’s email address, change the subject line of the email to ‘referral from Bob Smith’ (or ‘Bob Smith suggested we speak’) then send an email to the person referred with the referrer notified they’ve been moved to bcc (Thanks for the intro, Susan (bcc)).

Corrie, thanks for the quick reply.
This is exactly why we have an upgraded free trial and a 'free forever' plan.
Our bet is that you generate a more profitable pipeline and we grow together?
We can schedule a quick call (here's my link) or start a trial?
Ball's in your court. -Ryan

because…. getting a reply that a potential client doesn’t have budget is either a signal that they really don’t have money (which doesn’t bode well for business) or they are reluctant to pay for things that could help them succeed (and you’ll be fighting an uphill battle). So, call them out. Put the ball in their court.

Working with a competitor

We're already working with XYZ to do this for us. (or)
We already have a solution for this.

What you want to do: Reply back and tell them all the ways that you are better than the competitor they mentioned.

What you should do instead: Demonstrate that this isn’t your first rodeo. I like to ask something like, ‘How’s XYZ been to work with? Are you married to them?’ This response tends to elicit a reply that can tell you what they like/dislike and how much time may be left in their contract.

If the prospect gives you a date range for the contract expiration, confirm with them that you’ll follow up 30-60 days before their renewal so they can compare your product (with a free trial) to their existing vendor. If they didn’t tell you who the other vendor was, ask them (then ask them what they like/dislike)!

Corrie, thanks for the quick reply.
I expected someone with your skillset to have another option in place as opposed to manually trying to send your cold emails.
Who is it and are you married to them?
Ryan
ps - goal is to deliver the best product with the best value and I won't waste your time. will you give me a chance to compete for your business?

because…. the door is not closed. Your prospect has not explicitly said ‘no’ and you need to acknowledge this, then set a reminder.. This is a temporary calm in the storm. When the time comes to follow up, don’t be surprised if you don’t hear back immediately. Your best chances at getting a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’ will come after you follow-up your emails with a phone call or two. They’ve given you permission to continue the conversation so don’t stop until you hear an explicit ‘no’.

Not Interested, offer not relevant

"We don't have a need for your cold email automation platform"

What you want to do: You want to say ‘ok’ thanks for letting me know and mark the contact as unsubscribed in Replyify. Don’t fight fire with fire here. I’ve even been told before that they would report me to the police. I tend to believe that the police have better things to do. Just imagine having this person as a client. No thank you!

What you should do instead: Take this as an opportunity to learn and grow. Acknowledge the courteous reply and ask them a low commitment question. Follow-up that question with a display that you’re serious about working with them but respectful of their request.

Hi Corrie,
Thanks for the quick reply.
What is the team doing as an alternative to cold email for prospecting?
(hopefully they aren't waiting for the phone to ring or sending emails 1x1).
If it's a timing thing, can I follow up with you 2 months from now?
Cheers, Ryan

because….if you act desperate, you run the risk of turning a courteous ‘no’ into a cold email spam complaint or you will run the risk of losing any chance you have in the future of working with this prospect.

The ghost

What you want to do: After your cold email campaign ends, it’s easy to continue emailing them with the same message over and over hoping for them to respond.

What you should do instead: Let your email campaign run its course. If you’re noticing activity like opens or clicks for a prospect…. call them!. If they answer, let them know you use Replyify which updates you in real time when a prospect may be interested in your message based on their interaction with the send email. Follow-up your phone call with an email and/or a connection request.

Corrie,
I noticed you checked out our site from an email I sent.
Anything I can better explain about how to scale your prospecting process using the right sales automation?
Ryan
ps - I'm using an awesome email delivery service called Replyify that updates when it may be a good time to call and I just left you a voicemail.

because…. if your prospect is opening or clicking your email, they have an interest in what you have to offer. It may not be a good fit, but you’ve piqued their curiosity. Since they haven’t replied yet, what makes you think they will reply in the future? Let your campaign sequence continue to run its course, but don’t be afraid to tell them that you’re on top of your game and using the best tech to do your account development with cold emails.

Opt-Out

Thank you for the email, but please remove me from your list.

What you want to do: Process the unsubscribe or opt out from the cold email campaign sequence and move on.

What you should do instead: Be sure to stay CAN-SPAM compliant and honor the opt-out. Depending on the tone of the prospect’s response, you may want to use this as a last opportunity to communicate with them on the off chance the unsubscribe may have been influenced by factors out of your control. (ie – they’re on vacation or just having a bad day).

Corrie,
Thanks for the quick reply.
I'm confirming that this is the last email you'll receive from us.
Maybe you already have a solution in place or just don't like emails like this.
Either way, best in the future.
Ryan
ps - is there something I could have improved with my communication approach?

because…. someone who has opted out has made it clear that they don’t want to work with you. I like to make one last attempt at continuing the conversation or building a relationship for the future. You can gauge a lot from a person based on how they respond to this email. A ‘no reply’ is most common, but the folks who do engage are likely not completely dead.

Polite ‘No’

No, thank you.

What you want to do: You want to take the easy way out and give up on this person. Chances are low that you will convert them, but there’s still a chance.

What you should do instead: Take this as an opportunity to learn and grow. Acknowledge the courteous reply and ask them a low commitment question.

Follow-up that question with a display that you’re serious about working with them but respectful of their request. ‘You didn’t get to where you are in your career by chance. At some point, someone gave you a chance and you took the ball and ran with it.’

Corrie,
Thanks for the quick reply and I'll make sure we don't send you a follow-up.
Is there something I could have improved with my communicating of how we help
companies, just like yours, build a more efficient sales pipeline?
Ryan

because…. they said no and there is a low likelihood of getting this deal done but there is still value to be extracted from the conversation. You have the chance to learn how you could improve cold email messaging to get more replies in the future.

THE Anti-Cold Email Reply

I don't respond to cold email blasts.

What you want to do: You want to say something snarky like, ‘but you just did’ and then delete the message.

What you should do instead: Here’s a trick I learned from Sean Campbell who runs a must listen podcast called B2B Revealed. Go to the company’s LinkedIn page and search for folks who work in ‘sales’. If they have anyone with the title Sales Development (SDR), Business Development (BDR), Sales Operations Specialist, Sales Associate (etc) chances are high that these folks are doing the exact same thing that you are to start conversations with sales prospects.

Make sure you acknowledge their preference to not be contacted but call them out on their sales team engaging in similar practices. Don’t hold your breath for the response but you may be surprised at the reaction you generate and meeting that you get booked.

Corrie,
I understand where you're coming from & confirming that this is the last email from me.
Cold emails aren't my favorite thing either.
They are a necessary evil for me to do my job effectively and deliver value.
Since email is out, what could I have done differently to start a dialogue?
Ryan

because….this is the weakest most passive aggressive type of reply you can get. Imagine this person as your client. Acknowledge the courteous reply and ask them a low commitment question. Follow-up that question with a display that you’re serious about working with them but respectful of their request. ‘You didn’t get to where you are in your career by chance. At some point, someone gave you a chance and you took the ball and ran with it.’

The Threatening Reply

"If your company contacts anyone at my company again, I will notify my lawyer!"

What you want to do: Don’t fight fire with fire here. I’ve even been told before that they would report me to the police. I tend to believe that the police have better things to do. Just imagine having this person as a client. No thank you!

What you should do instead: Take this as an opportunity to learn and grow. Acknowledge the courteous reply and ask them a low commitment question. Follow-up that question with a display that you’re serious about working with them but respectful of their request.

Nothing. Write nothing as they are baiting you and have already made a threat.

because….this person will never be a client, and that’s a good thing for you. And if they are this much of a jerk, they deserve to wallow in the squalor of life without the benefit of your product or service. I have a folder in my inbox for these types of folks. Maybe I’ll surprise them with a starbucks gift card one of these days. Life is short. Move on.

THE ALL CAPS ‘NO’ or Nasty Response

STOP SENDING ME EMAILS AND TAKE ME OFF YOUR EFFING LIST RIGHT NOW!!!

What you want to do: Don’t fight fire with fire here. I’ve even been told before that they would report me to the police. I tend to believe that the police have better things to do. Just imagine having this person as a client. No thank you!

What you should do instead: Don’t fight fire with fire here. I’ve even been told before that they would report me to the police. I tend to believe that the police have better things to do. Just imagine having this person as a client. No thank you! Honor the opt-out unsubscribe to your cold email. Take this as an opportunity to learn and grow. Acknowledge the courteous reply and ask them a low commitment question. Follow-up that question with a display that you’re serious about working with them but respectful of their request.

Hi Corrie, this email is to confirm we will not contact you again.
Cold emails aren't my favorite thing either.
Is there something I could have improved in my attempts to start a conversation?
Best, Ryan
ps - we don't mass mail folks, opting instead for highly researched 1:1 email.

Because…. you never know what someone else is going through. Imagine the worst, then give this type of person the benefit of the doubt. But, as long as you’re not trying to fool this person for the second time with the Nigerian Prince scam, anyone who has the time to click the CAPS LOCK button before composing an email reply to an ambitious sales development rep deserves whatever they have coming to them. Good news for you is that you’re resilient, and demeaning replies like this don’t get you down.

Pro Tip: Be sure to include your email signature in your reply back to your prospect in case they change their mind now or in the future and want to contact you directly. I like to include my calendar scheduling link, a direct phone number, email address, a link to Replyify and one last call to action like this:

-------
Ryan O'Donnell
ryan@replyify.com
p: 330.552.8283
Schedule a Call with Me
Still sending cold emails one at a time? Check out Replyify

It’s easy to take an ‘angry’ reply personally. Don’t. Flip the script. Ask yourself if this is the type of person you even want to have as a client. Maybe they are just complainers and detractors. Maybe you’re the 10th person to cold email them with the same offer the same day they got passed over for a promotion or were didn’t get any sleep the night before.

They just did you a favor by self selecting themselves out so you don’t have to go through the awkward (but awesome) process of qualifying them out and telling them they are NOT a fit.

Keep your head up, take action, and move on.

ps – we’ll be updating this post over time. If you have a ‘category’ to add or an alternative response tactic, email us at team at replyify.com

]]>http://blog.replyify.com/how-to-manage-replies-to-your-cold-emails/feed/0Write Cold Emails Drunk (edit sober)http://blog.replyify.com/write-cold-emails-drunk-edit-sober/
http://blog.replyify.com/write-cold-emails-drunk-edit-sober/#respondTue, 12 Sep 2017 19:06:29 +0000http://blog.replyify.com/?p=176The most efficient way to maintain a consistently full sales pipeline is to run an outbound campaign that includes an automated sequence of activities like cold email sequence, followups, phone calls, voice mails and social selling.

Structuring a cold email campaign is no different than how a copywriter (aka – author) would structure a book. The author’s goal is to deliver the reader value as they consume the content starting with the prologue continuing through the plot which is which is broken up into chapters.

‘Write Drunk, Edit Sober’ – Ernest Hemingway

Maybe it was Hunter S. Thompson (it wasn’t), but it’s easy to imagine if you’ve ever read (or watched) Fear and Loathing or The Rum Diaries!

Nonetheless, this concept was interesting and I was up for the challenge.

Benefits of Booze + Writing:

Creativity – unusual cognitive connections/associations formed

Imagination – boosts inner consciousness

Thinking outside the box (citations linked below the article)

Working the Second Shift

After getting the kids to bed, it’s not uncommon for my wife and I to retreat to our home offices to get caught up on work. I call this ‘second shift’ and it’s one of my favorite times to work. It’s a 50/50 split between the non-urgent tasks/activities and new projects/experiments that allow for creativity. (like writing this post)

Sometimes I break out the ‘Adult Oreos’ which consists of sourdough pretzels dipped in Woodford bourbon.

I digress.

In my constant pursuit for improvement, I’ve been experimenting with attacking my outbound sales copywriting from the perspective of a Journalism major, not an MBA. Keep reading for the exact 12 step cold email and cold call outreach campaign I created late at night and edited in the morning.

My High Performing 12 Step Cold Email Campaign

Step 1 – LinkedIn Profile Visit

I view a profile automatically during the initial prospect list building exercise which starts the campaign. Viewing a profile signals to the prospect that you decided to initiate a conversation with them because you’ve conducted your research and have determined they may be a good fit.

Step 2 – Intro Email 1

The goal of this email is to introduce myself without starting with the old ‘hi, my name is ryan and I am the [insert title] at [insert company]. I preempted their likely next mental question of ‘how did you find me’ and I just told them how I did it.

If the prospect replies back to this email or any email in the future, they will be automatically paused and will not receive any future emails unless I choose to ‘Resume’ the campaign.

Subject: Found You on Linkedin
Hi {{ first | default:"there" }},
Your profile popped up in the 'People also viewed' section on Linkedin and you're probably wondering why I checked you out.
We work with companies similar to {{ company | default:"yours" }} to free up an extra 5-10 hours a month, so you can spend more time meeting with prospects and less time trying to find their contact info.
I see a lot of potential for streamlining your outbound sales using tech to automate prospecting and cold emails.
Are you free for a 10 minute call this week?
Cheers, Ryan

Step 3 – Wait 3 days then Email 2

I ask a rhetorical question in the first sentence to get them thinking about their process. The 1-2 punch is to follow the question up by mentioning other clients we work with that they likely know or compete with (based on my research). The goal of this sentence is to instill a sense fear (FOMA) and to demonstrate credibility that there are companies out there who pay for the service we provide.

My last sentence tells them exactly how I can resolve their fear and I convey that this will be ‘quick’. I go back and forth on if or when to use a calendar scheduling link, but I do include a link in cold email 3 and 4.

Subject:
Quick Question
Hi {{ first | default:"there" }},
What are you doing to make sure the top of the funnel is full of fresh leads every month?
We've helped companies like {{ competitor | default:"comp1, comp2 and comp 3" }} 2-3x their demos per week by automating their prospecting and sales intelligence. I believe this same concept could apply to {{ company | default:"your company" }} .
When is a good time next week for me to share a few quick ideas I have?
Thanks, Ryan

Step 4 – Wait 7 Days then Email 3

Email 3 is my offer. I concluded that the prospects who heaven’t replied by this point weren’t convinced by the social proof in email #2 or the value proposition in cold email #1. Rather than keep saying the same thing over and over, I decided to give them an offer. A little quid pro quo. I’ll give the prospect something valuable in exchange for something value…their time.

I also suggest one of three quick replies – ‘Accept? Decline? Go Away, Ryan’ to help me figure out their personality and follow-up to the reply (positive or negative) accordingly.

Including a scheduling link is debatable, but I offer it in such a way that demonstrates a respect for their time and mine.

Subject:
{{ company | default:"You" }} + {{My Company}}
Hey {{ first | default:"there" }} ,
{{My Company}} is the most accurate prospecting solution on the market but I don't expect you to just take my word for it.
I'd like to offer you a very simple trade:
OFFER: 100 prospects
ASKING: 15 minute call to show you how I found them.
Accept? Decline? Go Away, Ryan?
Send a few times for this week or skip a step and schedule here. I look forward to speaking with you soon!
Best, Ryan

Step 5 Wait 1 Day then Email 4

Email 4 is my Offer Follow-up combined with a Profile View and sent 1 day after my last ‘offer’ email. It’s a ‘bump’ email that references the offer email I sent them and simply asks them if they have any thoughts on my offer.

This is a low commitment question and because it’s a bump (a reply to a previous email), I’m demonstrating to them that this is likely a person sending these emails not a machine. This can help to tip the scale in your favor if your prospect is considering whether to reply.

Subject: re: {{ company | default:"You" }} + SellHack
{{ first | default:"Hey there" }}, any thoughts on my offer?
ryan
Original Message:
SellHack is the most accurate prospecting solution on the market but I don't expect you to just take my word for it.
I'd like to offer you a very simple trade:
OFFER: 100 prospects
ASKING: 15 minute call to show you how I found them.
Accept? Decline? Go Away, Ryan?
Send a few times for this week or skip a step and schedule here. I look forward to speaking with you soon!
Best, Ryan

Step 6 – Wait 3 Days then a LinkedIn Profile View

Step 7 – Same Day Call + VM

Phone: 440.552.8283
Call Script:
If you reach voicemail:
"Hi Prospect Name, _______ here with Replyify."
The reason for my call is to show you and your team how to take prospects on professional social networks, grab phone number and email address, and sync it directly into your CRM. It's solving many companies lead gen issues and we believe we can help you set up more qualified appointments. Please respond to my email or give me a call at ***-***-****.
Thanks Prospect Name, ____ here from Replyify.

Step 8 – Wait 7 Days then Email 5

I offered to show them my outbound sales process in Email #3 and since they didn’t reply, I told them exactly how I’ve been communicating with them for the past few weeks using Replyify.

I want them to imagine being able to have the same balance of control scale when reaching out to their prospects. Notice my subject line states the purpose for my email…a ‘Demo’.

Subject: Demo
I know these emails can be a little awkward, but you're probably reaching out to your prospects too, right?
After researching your profile, SellHack verified your email address, and I used Replyify to create a personalized sequence of emails and follow-ups.
Imagine how much more time you could spend selling, not digging around your inbox, if you had a cold email automation tool like this.
I can show you how to set this up 10 minutes. Interested?

Step 9 – Wait 5 Days then Email 6

Part of this copywriting experiment was to leverage things that have worked for me in the past and trying new ways of increasing my response and demo rate. I noticed that I was getting trapped repeating things I said in earlier emails when trying to extend the number of contact attempts I was making.

This is my sign-off email, and it’s generated an incremental increase in the response rate. While these numbers aren’t that impressive on paper, these are folks that I would have otherwise missed speaking with if I ended without signing off.

Subject: Thanks
Hi {{ first | default:"there" }} ,
Since I didn't hear back after offering to show you how to automate your outbound sales process, I'm going to assume that at this point that you're not interested.
If this is not the case or even if timing isn't right, please let me know.
Otherwise, all the best and thanks for your time!
Ryan

Step 11 – Wait 2 Days then Email 7

Wait…One more thing! This is the ‘Bob Vila’ of emails and is effective way to have another touchpoint to ask or a referral or suggest that you connect on LinkedIn. Timing may not always be right for your offer to line up with a buyer’s decision cycle.

Leaving the door open by connecting online or giving them an option to get you ‘off their plate’ via referral is a great way to demonstrate that you aren’t desperate or short-sighted with regards to the opportunity of working together.

Subject:
one more thing
Hey {{ first | default:"there" }} ,
Is there someone else at {{ company | default:"your company" }} that I should speak with about automating your sales process?
ryan

Step 12 – Optional LinkedIn Connection

You may not want to connect with all of your prospects and that’s ok. Also, be mindful of how many connection requests you send compared to the number of folks who actually connect with you. If your offer is sound, you communicate respectfully and your profile is professional, asking for a LinkedIn connection may be a good step to include in your campaign.

If you drink, Please drink Responsibly

If you write your cold emails with a glass of bourbon, please remember to edit with a cup of coffee before setting your campaign live on Replyify.

]]>http://blog.replyify.com/write-cold-emails-drunk-edit-sober/feed/0You Can’t Cold Email with MailChimphttp://blog.replyify.com/you-cant-cold-email-with-mailchimp/
http://blog.replyify.com/you-cant-cold-email-with-mailchimp/#commentsFri, 21 Jul 2017 02:52:10 +0000http://blog.replyify.com/?p=61I make it a point to participate in as many sales calls as my calendar allows and always ask which technology our clients were using before switching to Replyify. Suprisingly, a lot of folks have been trying to use MailChimp but struggling with keeping their account in good standing. After some research, I learned that even though MailChimp is awesome, they are a self described “strict permission-based newsletter delivery service” and forbid sending cold emails to sales prospects explicitly in their TOS.

This post is to educate our clients and prospective clients on why you need an email marketing company specifically designed for sending cold emails to your prospects. That’s why we built Replyify.

The Basics

MailChimp acts as a relay system between you, the sender, and your message passing a series of tests from the Internet Service Provider (ISP) before arriving in the recipient’s inbox or their spam folder. These tests, like life, aren’t always fair because when you send through MailChimp, your email is delivered through their servers and the you could be punished for the actions of others. Why? Because your ‘caller ID’ is compiled in part by the IP Address, which is shared amongst other senders, associated with where your message is originating and some spam filters will flag a campaign if anyone with the same IP has sent spam in the past.

What’s Wrong With Cold Emails?

Confused? Don’t worry. Just think about it from their perspective in trying to keep 14 Millionclients happy by delivering emails. The sentiment of their clients can ebb and flow dramatically depending on an increase or decrease in deliverability. People (like us) who send unsolicited emails, even if they aren’t spammers, increase the likelihood (risk) of a recipient clicking the spam button and contributing to a degradation of MailChimp’s efficacy in getting emails delivered.

So, ya, they would rather have State Farm or The Economist send millions of client communications and weekly newsletters as opposed to your sales team’s 500 weekly personalized outbound cold emails to prospects and partners.

Don’t Make This Mistake

If you use MailChimp to market to your clients, you risk getting your account suspended if you don’t play by their rules. Here’s a quick reference guide to let you know if you should add that email list to a new campaign:

Now you have proof on why you can’t cold email with MailChimp, but you may still be asking: Can I send cold email with Marketo? Can I cold email with Pardot? Is it ok to cold email with Constant Contact or Act-On etc? Short answer: yes, well, kind of but why would you?

Marketing automation should be left to do what it does best…sending marketing emails to your existing clients & opt-ins.

You’ll Destroy Your Email Reputation

When you start sending emails through these ‘traditional’ marketing automation servers, you’ll actually be sending from their IP addresses, not your own. These IP addresses are shared amongst many other companies out there. Do you really want to trust your company’s email deliverability and risk being penalized because of someone else’s spammy emails?

You’ll End up in the Spam Folder (or Promotions)

It’s not terribly difficult for your prospect’s mail server to pick up on a few key signals that could route your emails to spam or the dreaded ‘other’ inbox with the rest of the garbage sales promotion and free shipping emails.

If you send emails from servers that are easily identifiable as bulk/mass emailing systems (ie – Marketo, MailChimp, Hubspot, Pardot, Constant Contact, Act-On etc) and you are not a ‘contact’ of the recipient (ie – they’ve never engaged with you via email before) then you make it really easy for the receiving mail server to route your message to spam or the other inbox.

You’re broadcasting the fact that ‘Hey, we just met but I wanted to introduce myself to you via email. I pay one of the aforementioned companies money every month to automate my email sending so I can cast a wide net and hope that if I email enough people, I’ll get enough replies to keep my sales funnel full.”

All this because you chose the wrong platform.

That same mail server is A LOT more forgiving and accepting of a more targeted approach where you (the salesperson or business owner) send an email from your own account (not shared IPs) to someone you have never engaged with before.

Net result, sending cold emails on a platform like Replyify is going to land your emails in the primary inbox more often than not.

The goal of automation, and a key driver of how we build Replyify, is to prevent the emails from appearing automated. We don’t encourage spam, in fact, we have a strict policy in our TOS of how we handle spammers. We do, however, encourage cold email as the most effective way to engage with someone you’ve never met before. But, all of the benefits of cold email are lost when you engage the wrong technology to send your emails.

The worst part, you’ll never know just how bad it is. Look at the headers of the emails in your own spam folder or ‘other inbox’ for proof.

So, what’s the alternative?

Get a dedicated IP address through your hosting provider or even better, set up your email on Google Apps. If you want to benefit from the automation, connect your SMTP/IMAP or Gmail account to a service like Replyify.

Replyify is built for businesses – big & small – to generate more qualified leads & appointments delivered right to your inbox. Email campaigns are automatically sent right from your inbox, no ours. Share Email Templates with your entire team, track performance and never send the same email to a prospect more than once. Sell like a robot, sound like a human. Get started now!

]]>http://blog.replyify.com/you-cant-cold-email-with-mailchimp/feed/1How to Get a Meeting With Anyonehttp://blog.replyify.com/get-a-meeting-with-anyone/
http://blog.replyify.com/get-a-meeting-with-anyone/#respondSat, 17 Jun 2017 00:35:08 +0000http://blog.replyify.com/?p=1

How to Get a Meeting With Anybody in 2017

In business, the outcome of a meeting could change your life. A new investor, a new partner, a new client or even a new job is out there for you to find. With close to 500 million members and growing, finding the right prospect to reach at the right time with the right message has never been easier (yes – EASIER) for the modern sales-person who embraces technology, conducts data driven experiments, and has dedicated time in their calendar to complete pipeline activities.

Sales is evolving from a spray and pray numbers game where buying a list off the shelf and sending a blast via MailChimp hoping for a reply just doesn’t work anymore. Even with the best sales software to automate prospect list building and cold email campaigns, you still don’t have control over whether your prospect opens the email, reads your pitch, clicks your link or replies back to start a conversation.

To be successful in this new age of sales, you need repeatable process to focus on what you can control like:

finding the most valuable prospects

with the highest likelihood of engaging

based on your personalized messaging

sent through different channels over time

with as little manual intervention as possible

Keep reading and we’ll share the process for writing cold emails like the top 1% of producers. Copy or borrow and make it your own.

Start with Prospect Research

Take out a notepad or open a google doc and think critically about the person your are going to cold email and write down the answers to the following questions:

What is their name? Jim Smith

Where do they work? Big Software Company, Inc.

What do they do at work? SVP

How do they spend their days? In meetings all day, thinking strategy and working on big deals that could move the stock price.

What do they do in their free time? Ski in Steamboat, Golf or Spend Time w/ Kids

Do you share any personal or professional connections in common? 9 Connections (4 clients, 3 former co-workers, 1 friend, 1 competitor)

Are there any uncommon similarities you share? Ie – You went to the same university, interested in underwater basket weaving, or have children around the same age

What value do you have to offer them? Co-sponsored webinar or blog post.

Why should they care? They love the space you are working in and your opportunity could make them money and further solidify their authority.

What is the ideal outcome of the meeting? A first phone call or a referral to a colleague.

Making First Contact (Why Email Wins)

If your target contact is like most important and influential people, they are very busy. You need to contact them through the channel that creates the least amount of friction: email. It’s hard to make your tweet stand out in 140 characters, a friend request on Facebook may be creepy, and phone call, assuming you can get their number, could be intrusive.

Email is the preferred communication medium for busy people and understanding how to email busy people is a skill that can set you apart from the pack. Before you start writing, understand that email creates a task for someone to complete and busy people are skimming the emails in the hopes of completing the task.

Here are the 6 questions your recipient will ask when your email lands in their inbox:

In speaking with sales leaders across the globe, one skill that is in high demand for sales but rarely gets mentioned by name or makes a job description is effective copy writing. Copy writing is the gateway to new business for the modern sales-person but it isn’t as sexy as catching last minute flight for a martini lunch to close the deal.

The modern sales-person knows how to write compelling cold emails and follow-ups. Even if you’re not actively paying attention to it, some people are better and more effective at communicating via email (or twitter, Linkedin, blog etc) than others, right? Heck, there are even folks out there who specialize in sales copy writing.

Look at your own inbox. How many cold meeting requests or opportunities did you delete before even hearing out the requestors pitch? Most of these emails are all about the sender and don’t do anything to communicate that they’ve done their research to personalize their offer.

Don’t be this person. Let’s take a closer look at elements of an effective sales email and how you can deconstruct yours.

Pro Tip: Your spam folder is the graveyard for poorly written cold emails (and opportunities to help an exiled Prince). File any cold emails you receive into a 'good email' and 'bad email' folder. Learn from the worst and borrow from the best.

Deconstructing Your Email

The Subject Line

The goal of the subject line is to get your email opened and it’s the gateway to everything else in your email. Think about all the cold emails you received where the subject lines enticed you enough to open the email. Better yet, for the next seven days, pay attention to the subject lines of all the unsolicited emails sent to you. Make note of which subject lines were good or bad and file them into your good/bad folders in your inbox. When you are ready to start writing, here’s a 2 minute subject line drill for your cold email.

The Opening – ‘like a boss’

Avoid sounding like a robot or exuding desperation. The best emailers know how to speak to the recipient in a tone that will get their emails read. Avoid words in the greeting like ‘Dear Sir/Madam’, ‘Greetings’, ‘Mr./Mrs. Smith’. This is a rookie mistakes that will call attention to the fact that you are not a peer to the recipient which signals to them that you have nothing to offer in return and your leverage is lost. Delete.

Right: ‘Jim/Jill-’, ‘Hi Jim/Jill-’

Wrong: ‘Dear Sir/Madam’, ‘Greetings’, ‘Mr./Mrs. Smith’

The Connection Statement

The first sentence of your email is meant to separate yourself from the pack and demonstrate you have a valid reason for contacting them based on something you both hold in high regards. Don’t make the first sentence all about you. The reader doesn’t know enough yet whether they will care about what you have to say or not and this fatal mistake is a fast track to the delete button.

This is also referred to as an ‘uncommon commonality’. At the beginning of this post, you made a list things you have in common with the recipient. Use your best commonality here to make a personal connection with the recipient. Effective use of the connection statement also signals to the recipient that this isn’t the same generic opening you sent to a lot of other people.

Right: ‘Your article in the Times about time travel made the best argument I’ve seen on why solar flares should be used as an alternative form of energy.’

Wrong: ‘My name is Ryan and I am a recent grad from Harvard majoring in Applied Physics and looking for an entry level engineering role.’ Or…’My name is Ryan and I run sales for XYZ company, a leader in real time space delivery to innovating how we send things to people living on the Moon.’

Pro Tip: Each sentence in your email should be purposely designed and written to
get the recipient to read the next sentence.

The Hook

The key to crafting the correct hook is to 1) pique curiosity, 2) sincerely praise, or 3) call out a fear. Your subject line got the email opened. Your connection statement demonstrated that you did your research and may have something special to offer. The hook will keep them reading on the path to replying to your email or following through on your Call To Action (CTA). Check out the examples below.

Piquing Curiosity: ‘You mentioned on an expansion to Space a on the last earnings call. Having lived in another dimension 6 years, there is one thing most companies miss when going to market. ‘

Sincere Praise: ‘Your researched served as the basis for my thesis on track to complete my PhD in applied physics.’

Fear: ‘I’ve helped companies like (your competitor 1) and (your competitor 2) get to space for less than half of what it’s costing you now.

The hook is a transition that bridges your connection statement to the pitch. Your email should be 3-5 sentences long and your concise communication demonstrates that you will not waste their time. Eliciting emotion is a powerful communication tactic. Authors use the emotional hook technique to make their books more interesting to readers. The same principals can be applied when you are authoring your cold emails.

The Pitch

If you followed the all the steps we laid out, your target is still reading at this point. Make your case then move to the ‘Call To Action’ (CTA). How will you improve recipient’s life by taking action on your request for something? What do you have to offer?

Be concise. Give them a taste of what you bring to the table. Highly motivating email pitches play to psychological factors that can get your prospects thinking about how replying back can generate money, power, or respect.

Right: ‘my company just closed a 7 figure deal with Solar Dimensions Inc. to build the next version of their combustion engine and our investors suggested we build an advisory board of the best space experts on the planet.’

Wrong: ‘I’d love to pick your brain on space exploration’

The Call To Action

The money shot. Close strong, but don’t make your ask too complicated. Your CTA should be an easy commitment for the recipient. Even if you want the recipient to ultimately invest in your company or hire you, it’s too early for such a big ask since the decision process they would go through doesn’t allow for a quick reply.

Craft your CTA to enable an easy ‘yes’ and facilitate the conversation to move from email to a call or an in person meeting.

Right: ‘How does your calendar look in the next 2 weeks for a quick call to see if there is a fit?’

Wrong: ‘Can I present my research to your executive team?’

PS – don’t forget the p.s.

The PS is a great spot in the email to create levity, make another personal connection with the recipient, or add something that didn’t fit with the awesome email you just wrote. You could link the recipient to the White Paper, blog post or press release that details something you mentioned earlier in the email. You can also make the ‘PS’ more personal than what your email allowed for by leveraging another uncommon commonality.

Right: ‘ps – go Cavs!’, ‘ps – here’s a link to the thesis I mentioned earlier’, ‘ps – Taking the family to Steamboat for the first time next week, any suggestions?’